Battlestar Prelude
by The Wilky Bar Kid
Summary: Pre-BSG. Admiral Tolan has learned that there maybe a conspiracy within the Admiralty to provoke the Cylons into starting a war and asks the Battlestar Hermes to investigate. Hermes/Victorious x-over. Elements from BSG episode 'Hero'
1. Shore Leave at the Tolans

_Since my current story regarding the Battlestar Hermes takes place after the fall of the twelve colonies I thought I'd write a short story that takes place before so as to explore my character's lives before the war. I have included some characters (and later some ships) from Wes Imlay's Battlestar Victorious stories with his permission. Hope you enjoy!  
_

_- Tony W_

* * *

**Important Quotations from BSG Series 3 Episode 8 'Hero'**

"The Admiralty had grown frustrated of the Adar Administration. My mission was to ascertain the likelihood of a Cylon strike."  
- _Admiral William Adama to Lee Adama_

"What makes you think they didn't send you out there to start a war?"  
_- President Laura Roslin to Admiral William Adama_

* * *

CAPRICA CITY SPACEPORT  
EIGHT MONTHS BEFORE THE FALL

Sitting in one of the quieter cafes that occupied the many stalls and outlets of the spaceport a broadly built man with short and well groomed brown hair sat at the counter with a glass of ice water and a newspaper, namely the Caprica Herald. The front page was dominated by the main story of the day and had the words 'TEACHERS THREATEN INDUSTRIAL ACTION' printed in bold across the page. The man read the main article with interest as he lifted his glass and took a drink of the refreshing water. He looked up at the time and realised he had to go. He had just arrived on a flight from Picon and was earlier than expected so his ride wasn't here yet. He tipped the waitress who smiled in appreciation before making his way to the front of the spaceport.

The hustle and bustle of the main entrance of the spaceport seemed to grab hold of the man like a cork dropped into a violent sea and he searched longingly for a space he could take up away from the crowd all of whom were fighting for the limited number of taxis. Suddenly the air filled with the low sound of a high powered car engine and the man had a feeling his ride was arriving. He was right. A bright blue and white convertible sports car rolled up into the taxi rank its engine growling like an angry tiger waiting to break loose. Both the man and the driver had spotted each other and shared an acknowledging glance as the new arrival threw his one leather bag into the small space behind the two front seats and said "They obviously pay Admirals more than they do Commanders." The driver laughed heartily as the man got in to the passenger seat and the two of them locked their right hands tightly together like brothers. "It's good to see you Scott!"

"You too Artimus" replied Admiral Scott Tolan sitting in the driver's seat with a pair of dark tinted sunglasses protecting his eyes from what was a beautiful day in the capitol city.

"Think you can keep in the speed limit today?" joked Commander Artimus Bowman of the Battlestar Hermes who knew the answer all too well. Scott simply smiled as he put the car into gear and like an avenging angel it roared off into the distance with blue smoke emanating from the hot rubber. "Lords of kobol hear my prayer!" joked Bowman.

The sports car impatiently stopped and started off again many times through the busy streets of Caprica City until finally it made it out to the countryside and Scott seemed to find his element as he manoeuvred the car around the twisting roads.

"So how was the flight?" asked Tolan.

"Oh y'know. Bad food. Lousy service. Old movie" chanted Bowman before Tolan added, "Ugly stewardess?" Bowman simply feigned a grin in acknowledgement. Tolan knew that Bowman had an issue with people who gave out love freely although in the five and a half years they had known each other Tolan couldn't figure out where it had come from? Bowman was someone who loved his wife unconditionally. Brooke Bowman was waiting with Scott's wife Emily at one of Emily's family homes. Being a Greystone there were indeed many such homes that they could retreat too.

"How is everyone?" asked Bowman.

"Brooke misses you terribly" he explained.

"It's mutual. Believe me! That's just the price we have to pay in the service. Emily?"

"She's good" answered Tolan, "although I don't think the triplets have been too pleased to have your wife with us. Brooke doesn't stop does she? We tried to tell her to take it easy but she've spent the time tutoring them in their worst subjects. Don't get me wrong! It's not that we don't appreciate it! It's just we brought you guys up here to relax for a bit."

"Well that's Brooke for you. She's committed" said Bowman with a hint of worry in his voice. Brooke Bowman was a teacher at Wilson Elementary school in Caprica City and she was an active member of the Teacher's Union that was making the news recently, something that deeply worried Bowman. "She really does care about her students. I just got a bad feeling that this dispute with the teachers is going to get out of control. Just like on Aerilon. Adar is an idiot! Worse still he is an idiot with power. And judging by the state of the fleet he seems to have forgotten the little favour the military did his family six years ago." Bowman was referring to the military operation to rescue Adar's sister and niece that they had both undertaken six years earlier. It was during that operation that the two of them first met.

"So say we all!" chanted Tolan as the car slowed outside the gates to a magnificent house beside a lake. The security system identified Tolan and opened the gates automatically to allow him and Bowman inside. Tolan parked the car near the front entrance. Bowman knew that this wasn't the Tolan's actual home and asked "So is this one of Emily's family homes?"

"Yep!" replied Tolan who took a deep breath before adding, "This used to be Daniel Greystone's place." Bowman shot a stunned look at Tolan who returned a confirming stare. "That's right. This is where it all happened!"

"My Gods!" gasped Bowman as he took in the surrounding area almost in total disbelief that he was standing in the grounds of one of the most important buildings in human history for it was hear that Daniel Greystone had first began work on what he would later call a Cybernetic Lifeform Node – Cylon!

"Artimus!" A woman's voice shrieked from the doorway. It was Emily Tolan, Scott's wife, and she came rushing up to him and threw her arms around him.

"Hello Em'," he said smiling as she squeezed the air out of his lungs which caused him to chuckle as she released him.

"You're looking well Artimus" said Emily.

"Well I guess being a Commander suits me-" Bowman was suddenly cut off by Emily throwing her hand up in protest before turning to her husband and saying, "You didn't tell him did you?"

"Oh right!" sighed Tolan in a manner that said he was tired of hearing about this. He turned back to Bowman to explain, "We have standing orders not to talk about work."

"I see" chuckled Bowman. "Well I think I do that."

"Come on" said Emily. "Brooke is inside with the kids."

It was an odd feeling for Bowman. Everytime he returned from an excursion aboard a Battlestar, some of which could last up to three to four months, he always felt like a schoolboy on a first date when he first saw his wife. He followed Emily through the beautiful and spacious home out to the veranda at the back that overlooked the crystal lake. The closer he got the more he could hear his wife's voice as she coached the Tolan triplets. His stomach became a flutter and his breathlessness continued to grow. They had been together five years now! Bowman thought he shouldn't still feel this way but he did and he loved her for it even more.

Brooke was sitting at the table in a pair of white shorts and a maroon t-shirt. Her dark brown hair flowed freely down her back from a hairband that sat upon her head. There was ten years between them and the age gap was exacerbated by Brooke's youthful features that made her look younger than twenty eight years old. She was so busy concentrating on the three small Tolan children that she hadn't noticed him standing in the doorway and it took a surprised glance from Andrew Tolan, one of the triplets, to make her aware of her husband but before she could even say hello Bowman was swamped by three excited small children longing to see their honorary uncle. "Hey everybody!" said Bowman happily as he leaned down to say hello to each of them. He talked quickly with the three of them before throwing Henry his bag and said, "Here, I brought you some presents!"

"From your ship?" asked Lisa Tolan the only girl of the three.

"Go and see!" he said and the three of them went rushing off into the living room dragging his bag behind them. Brooke was standing there glowing as she looked at her husband face to face for the first time in three months. The two of them were completely oblivious to anything else in the universe at that moment. Emily tugged on her husband's arm to indicate that they should leave them alone for a few minutes and they retreated inside to their three excited children. Finally alone Bowman struggled to speak before getting the words out, "You-you look beautiful!"

Brooke's smile seemed to widen further as the two of them took several controlled steps towards one another before giving in to their emotions and they threw themselves into each other's arms. With his head resting on her shoulder he closed his eyes and tried to memorise every second of having her in his arms once again. It was as if it had been a lifetime since they had seen each other last.

"I've missed you!" she said almost sobbing. Bowman felt guilty as he held her tightly and at that moment would have given up everything he had; his ship, his career, all that was his in order to keep her in his arms but they both knew that it was the euphoria speaking. Bowman was a career officer and Brooke accepted that, something he was forever thankful for. After they had finished they felt they were being rude to their hosts and returned inside.

They had a pleasant and relaxed afternoon of conversation and a game of tennis before a light supper. The triplets proved most entertaining throughout the course of the afternoon as they showed everyone their latest masterpieces that adorned some scrap paper. When it was time for bed Emily asked Andrew to take off the peaked hat that Bowman had got him the front of which was emblazoned with the Seal of the Colonial Fleet and the words BATTLESTAR HERMES BSG-58 adorning the circumference but the young man refused adamantly and so Emily gave in and let him wear it to bed.

With the children finally off to bed the adults sat out on the veranda with a bottle of fine wine from Virgon. Bowman assumed the bottle probably cost more than a week's pay and so was careful not to down his glass in one go. More than once Emily brought up the topic of Artimus and Brooke having their own children but the subject was met with some awkward glances from the Bowmans. Although Artimus was getting close to fourty the two of them felt there was still time. Despite their 'standing orders' it was not long before Bowman and Tolan were sharing stories.

"So anyway" chuckled Bowman in the middle of a particularly hilarious story. "It's 'Buffer's one thousandth landing right? And he goes off on his training mission in one of the Daedalus's pristine Mark V Vipers. So we are all down on the hangar deck and we suit up for an EVA. We figure we will go up on the landing deck and cheer him on as he comes in. So we hear he is on approach. Hands-on of course and he enters the hangar pod and positions himself for landing. We're all there waving and cheering in our spacesuits as he positions himself over the decklift and we can see the thrusters firing like crazy 'cause he is so nervous about getting it right and then suddenly...it just stops right there! Just a few feet from the deck! System wipeout! You remember what the old fives were like?" Tolan laughed as if recalling his own similar story of the problematic Viper Mark V. "So he is there screaming and thumping his fist on the side of the canopy. He can't believe it! So we all walk over there and he's only six feet from the deck. He's not even close enough for the magnetic surface to grab hold of him! And we reach up and we all pull him down onto the deck! He's there in the cockpit screaming and shouting but of course no one can hear him! So his Viper gets towed down in the hangar deck and the CAG walks up to him and says 'Bad news! You've got to do it again!'"

Both Bowman and Tolan were laughing heartily while Brooke and Emily simply smiled politely. The night drew in and the two women left to look at some holiday photos of Emily and Scott's last vacation to Scorpia. Tolan watched as Bowman looked up at the starlit sky. In particular he was looking at a rather bright star that was in fact a nearby planet.

"Picon!" he said almost off handedly. "That's were Hermes is right now."

Tolan laughed. "You've been bitten by the bug now! That ship is going to be like a second wife to you from now on...If you'll pardon the expression?" Scott Tolan's smile dropped slightly. "How's it going?"

"It's good. A few rough edges to smooth out namely my XO but other than that. We are still officially attached to BSG-58 but we have been on detached service the past three months carrying out policing duties in the Mystra Asteroid Belt. In a month she goes into refit so I'm going to be leaving on an evaluation cruise in two weeks. I think a round trip of the colonies might reveal any bugs in the ship but I got to tell you, I've got a good team on board and they know that ship! I don't predict any major problems."

"It's good that you feel that way about your ship" added Tolan who then paused as if considering whether or not to mention something. It was a notion that Bowman had latched onto and he stared at his friend inquisitively. Tolan decided to speak his mind. "Tell me Artimus?" asked Tolan with a hint of hesitance. "Have you heard anything regarding the Armistice Line lately?"

"How do you mean?" asked Bowman unsure of what Tolan was talking about exactly. Bowman looked at his old friend and knew something was bothering him. "What's up? Talk to me! C'mon."

"Come here a minute" said Tolan wanting to walk over to the fencing looking over the lake with their backs to their wives so they couldn't hear. When he was sure that Brooke or Emily couldn't hear them he continued, "I've had some documents come across my desk. Documents that perhaps I shouldn't have. Documents that were meant for destruction but somehow ended up with me."

"What kind of documents?" asked Bowman in a subdued voice.

"Classified ones! Regarding unusual traffic near the line."

"Cylons?" inquired Bowman to which Tolan answered with silence. "Colonial?" asked Bowman! Tolan nodded. "What kind of traffic?"

"Well that's the odd thing" explained Tolan. "They're military and civilian ships. On their own these reports are unimportant but put them all together and it paints a disturbing picture. One could look at these ship movements as almost sabre rattling. Like they're trying to get a response from the Cylons."

"What?" gasped Bowman stunned! "Have the Cylons responded?"

"I can't be certain but I have received some information regarding a black ops mission from your old ship, the Valkyrie. I can't get any specific information but it appears that a pilot was shot down but by whom I can't be sure. There was some mention of Tauron terrorists but nothing substantial." Tolan paused for breath overwhelmed by guilt as he turned to his friend with a confession. "Artimus! I give you my word that I brought you and Brooke here out of friendship. But I had planned to ask you a favour. I was going to ask you to take the Hermes out to the Red Line for your evaluation cruise. I can't order you to do this. I'd understand if you refused."

Bowman had to admit that he was a little hurt by the possibility that he was invited here just to ask him for this favour but as he looked at Scott something told him that he was being genuine.

"Well..." said Bowman. "Ok. But isn't taking a Battlestar to the Red Line sabre rattling in itself?"

"I'd considered that" explained Tolan "but the Cylons seem totally oblivious to anything we do out there unless we cross the line. I'm hoping that Hermes will either scare the crap out of whoever is behind all this activity or at the least find evidence to reveal what's going on? I need Hermes because she isn't attached to any group and since she's on her evaluation she can go in with an air of authenticity. But it's your call. And I will respect your decision."

Bowman thought for a moment as he looked back at Brooke with Emily. How could he not act on this information? If Tolan was right then there were elements within the Fleet Command trying to coax a response from the Cylons. This was why he joined the fleet in the first place, to protect his loved ones and he felt that Colonial Officers trying ta start a war was a personal insult.

He turned to Tolan and said, "I'll do it!"

"Alright!" said Tolan. "We'll talk more before you leave at the end of the week. In the meantime let's just put this behind us and enjoy our shore leave. C'mon! Let's get back inside. I know Emily is dying to tell you about my attempt to paraglide on Scorpia."


	2. Bowman's 'Assignment'

SCORPION FLEET SHIPYARDS  
LOADING DOCK

Chief Siddall had been summoned from his desk at the Quartermaster's Office at the request of one of the new civilian dock workers. Civilian contractors were replacing more and more permanent military staff at installations like the ship yards all over the twelve colonies in an effort to save on the expense of having to fund permanent military staff for handling some of the more mundane tasks such as loading and unloading ships. The military budget under the Adar Administration was being restricted further and further forcing the Admiralty to start 'penny pinching' as Siddall described the cost cutting measures. He was now one of the few administrative military personnel left working in the loading bays.

"What the frak is it this time?" growled Siddall menacingly as he approached the young man, a Scorpian by the name of Mal Harding, as he waited holding a clipboard standing next to two large cargo pallets that were sitting on trolleys ready to be taken to their awaiting ship. Each cubical pallet was two metres tall by two metres wide and two metres long.

Siddall was quite a large and somewhat overweight middle aged man whose days on the frontlines were well behind him. Many of the civilians had given him the rather unflattering nickname of 'Bullfrog' due to his wide facial features and quite bulbous eyes. There was no playful affection behind the nickname. The civilian workers all hated him and he hated them. It made for a particularly depressing working environment that had kindled over time to make the whole task of loading and unloading the Battlestars and other vessels that regularly visited the shipyards a miserable one.

Harding handed him the clipboard and Siddall seemed to snatch it off him impatiently. He scanned the page for the serial numbers that were on the side of the pallets and then ran his fingers across the page to check where they should be loaded.

"What's the matter with you?" he snarled with his nostrils flaring. "Cant you read? Get these down to Cargo Dock Six! Do I have to tell you people to do everything?"

"No Chief it's just-" stuttered Harding before he was angrily and quite rudely cut off by Siddall.

"What?"

"Well Chief I thought I'd run this by you before I took them down there" explained Harding nervously expecting yet another outburst from Siddall. "These pallets are filled with components from the Battlestar Solaria's overhaul that was completed last month."

"So?"

"Well Chief...I've been to Dock Six. The ship there is a civilian transport shuttle" explained Harding expecting Siddall to have figured out what he was getting at. Instead Siddall just glared at him and Harding felt compelled to continue, "Well sir we don't normally transfer this stuff to civilian vessels. I mean these things could be filled with all kinds of military grade equipment. Don't you think it's a bit odd that we just pulled them out of storage for the Active Reserve this morning without any prior warning about it and then we get told to put them on to a civilian ship?"

Siddall checked all the paperwork again before slamming the clipboard on to the young man's chest.

"Listen kid" he said with a tone that screamed his annoyance. "I know you haven't been here long so let me bring you up to speed. Nothing leaves this place without me sitting behind my crappy little desk in my crappy little office checking and then signing for every single piece of cargo that leaves this place. It's my job to make sure everything is above board and that it is going where it should. The orders came down last minute but that's nothing new around this place! The 'brass' is probably selling this stuff off to make up some cash. It's just some engineering parts that's no good to anyone anymore. Don't you worry your pretty little head about it ok? You just do your job and take these down to Dock six!"

Siddall left the scolded young man standing there with the clipboard and returned to his office. Behind the closed door Siddall fell back against it and breathed a sigh of relief. _That was close _he thought. His nervous and agitated eyes glanced over to his desk. He knew that inside the locked top drawer was an envelope inside of which was over 50,000 cubits in cash. That was an offer that was just too good to turn down. His gambling addiction had almost lead him to financial ruin and when the man that came to see him the day before with the proposition for him he just had to say yes. He had falsified the paperwork regarding those two old EMP Coils from the Solaria making up some requisition order regarding them being sent to Sagitaron. He knew that if anyone followed the papertrail they would suspect the Sagitarons of losing them after all it had happened genuinely several times and no one would suspect a thing. It was perfect!

So why then was he so nervous? That's what he kept asking himself over and over.

* * *

TOLAN'S CAPRICAN HOLIDAY HOME  
SEVEN DAYS LATER

Artimus Bowman's shore leave had been exactly what he wanted it to be. It had been a quiet affair mostly made up of eating out at some of Caprica City's fine restaurants and enjoying the company of friends but above all it was a welcome chance for him and and his wife, Brooke, to just spend some time together without the hassles of daily life getting in the way. But all the while something was lingering over him and Scott and their two wives had noticed it on several occasions. Despite their wives' persistence neither Artimus or Scott mentioned their discussion the first night that Artimus arrived. They brushed it off as merely 'work' and that there was nothing for them to worry about. Artimus didn't like keeping Brooke in the dark about anything but knew that it was for her own good. If she knew what he and Scott had planned she would only worry about him and that wouldn't do anyone any good.

Alas the last night at the former home of Daniel Graystone was an unsettled one for Artimus. He spent much of the night tossing and turning in bed waking his wife momentarily for several moments before she went back to sleep until finally he could stand it no more. He gently lifted up his wife's arm from his chest as he climbed out of the bed and quietly put on a dressing gown before making his way downstairs into the living room. It was about 5:30am as he sat in the heavily glazed room with a glass of apple juice he had got from the kitchen. Artimus felt uneasy about just helping himself to the Tolan's food despite the insistence of Scott and Emily. Staring out of the large bay windows that lined the wall looking out across the lake into the sombre blue and grey sky he felt it was a fitting tribute to his thoughts at that moment. His mind couldn't put aside the prospect of taking his ship, the Battlestar _Hermes_, out to the Armistice Line to investigate if there was a conspiracy by his own military leadership to start a war? It was unconscionable but he trusted Scott enough to know that if he suspected that it was true then there was good enough reason go and see for himself.

"Trouble sleeping?" Scott's voice echoed across the wide open plan room to where Artimus sat on the leather couch. Artimus turned his head to see Scott walking down the winding wooden stairs towards him.

"Always do on the last night" replied Artimus. Scott came and sat on the sofa opposite Artimus whose gaze didn't seem to pull away from the lake. Scott didn't have to be a psychic to see what was on his friend's mind. He felt a little bit guilty about coming to Artimus for help. It would have been an overwhelming prospect for someone with ten times his experience after all it goes against everything a Colonial Warrior is trained for. Artimus Bowman had only been in command of the Battlestar _Hermes_for four months and despite all his experiences as a Raptor pilot, CAG aboard _Valkyrie_, the mission with Tolan to rescue the President's niece five and a half years ago Bowman still felt like he was stepping in to the unknown on this one. The task ahead of him felt immense.

"You can still back out if you want, Artimus" said Scott. "No one would blame you. Gods know I wouldn't!"

Artimus turned to Scott, his features stiffened into his 'game face' and said, "You know me better than that. I cant just walk away from this. That's why you came to me really. Isn't it?"

"In all honesty, yes!" replied Scott. "The fact that _Hermes_ had a 'galactic hall pass' was just a bonus. If necessary I would have pulled on some of my strings to get _Hermes_ out there for whatever reason I could come up with. I want you to go because I trust you enough to remain objective to everything you see. I need someone with a cool head who wont start seeing conspiracies everywhere but at the same time will be able to look through any lies that someone is telling you. If I, a flag officer, went out there with _Victorious_ it would only scream to whoever is behind this that they've been outed and probably call it off until I had to leave. You can go out there with an air of legitimacy and hopefully catch them in the act with the evidence we need so I can bring it to Adar."

"What makes you think that frakwood will listen?" asked Bowman.

"He owes me!" stated Scott matter-of-factly. "And he may be a frakwood but he knows how to play politics and so do I. Don't you worry about that!"

"Fair enough!" said Bowman convinced that his friend could take care of the political side of _their_ covert operation. "What do you want me to tell my crew? And Fleet Command for that matter? They're going to be curious about the sudden change to my scheduled mission."

"As for your crew I will leave it up to you how much or how little you tell them. I know you don't like keeping them in the dark but it might be wise to withhold the whole plan at least for the time being. As for Fleet Command, all you got to tell them is your on you're evaluation cruise and you want to keep your crew on their toes. Providing _you _don't do anything provocative they'll just let it go. Hell it may even bring to light the key players in all of this. Make them sweat a little without arousing too much suspicion. Remember we need to catch them in the act or they'll just bury themselves when we go after them. I've made arrangements for an envoy to meet you aboard _Hermes_ when you arrive later today. They will have copies of all the evidence I have collected so far."

"Ok" said Artimus taking a drink of his juice as he took a moment to reflect back to their first meeting back aboard the _Valkyrie _five and a half years earlier_._ "Funny isn't it? Looking back. First time I met you I thought you were just another another stuck up Commander who couldn't see past your own...brass." Scott laughed thinking back to how cold the two of them were when they first met. "Funny how things work out huh?"

"Yea" added Tolan. "I seem to make most of my friends that way. When I first met Ty Carter we ended up giving each other a punch in the face. Now he's one of my officers in BSG-66. You're a different person to the man I met back then. You seem...happier?"

"I am" replied Artimus thinking how much marrying Brooke had changed his life. Before her Artimus had a very cold and quite bitter personality due to a series of events that happened in his early life mostly to do with his father. The two of them never got on and he spent much of his time with his grandparents. As Scott put it Brooke had 'thawed him out'.

Alright then, well I'm off back to bed. As you're superior officer" joked Scott, "I recommend you do the same. Brooke will want you to be there when she wakes up. It's your last morning on planet remember?"

"Yes sir!" said Artimus mimicking a salute.

* * *

CAPRICA CITY SPACEPORT  
FIVE HOURS LATER

Brooke drove her husband to the spaceport after Scott and Emily both agreed that his last few hours on Caprica should be spent with her. Brooke owned a small compact convertible but she decided to keep the roof up as the clouds were keeping the climate cool. The drive to the spaceport was a particularly quiet one. They never knew what to say in these last few moments together. They made the usual small talk until they finally arrived at the entrance to busy spaceport in almost the same place where Artimus Bowman's shore leave began a week earlier but the mood was much more sombre.

Brooke applied the parking brake and the two of them leaned over to embrace and kiss inside the car.

"I love you" he said to her softly.

"I love you too" she replied almost in a whisper. The two of them let go of each other but as he began to open the door she called out, "Artimus!" He stopped suddenly and turned back towards her with a quizzing stare. "I knew when I married you that there were going to be things about your work that you couldn't tell me. I've accepted that but I also know that something has been bothering you and Scott this past week. I don't need to know anything specific. Just answer me this? Are you really going on an evaluation cruise?"

Bowman looked at his wife. He almost blurted out 'yes' but she would know it would be a lie. He closed the door again so that no one outside could hear. He took a deep breath before answering her, "I _am_ still going for an evaluation cruise. The venue has changed that's all." It wasn't strictly a lie but rather it wasn't the whole truth. Brooke knew it was the best answer she was going to get and reluctantly accepted it. She just had to trust in her husband.

* * *

BATTLESTAR HERMES  
PICON ORBIT

There are few man made things in the universe that are more magnificent or more majestic looking than a Battlestar. Sitting high in orbit like one of the Gods, as it's namesake would imply, the Battlestar _Hermes_ exerted an air of strength and power as it bathed in the atmosphere-less sunlight. The beams of light cast long dark shadows across the forward sections of the hull that sat away from the sun. In the vast distances of space it appeared to the naked eye that the _Hermes_was the only ship in orbit when in fact there were many vessels including other Battlestars. Picon was home to the Colonial Fleet Headquarters and a significant portion of the traffic around the planet was military in origin.

_Hermes_was a Jupiter-class Battlestar. The Jupiter-class was a precursor to the more advanced Mercury-class and was slightly larger but less sophisticated. It was one of only two members of the intermediate class of Colonial warship. It was this fact that made the crew of _Hermes_ feel unique amongst the fleet especially now that her only sister ship, the _Jupiter_, had recently been transferred to the Active Reserve fleet and no longer on the frontlines. _Hermes _was almost literally one of a kind!

The power and influence of the Battlestar seemed to be challenged as a solitary Raptor began it's approach. The small craft entered the starboard Hangar Pod and settled over the deck lift that would lower it down into the Hangar Deck. Assembled on the Hangar Deck the senior officers watched as the Raptor was towed into position alongside them. The small craft stopped and the Raptor's hatch swung open to reveal Commander Artimus Bowman in his no.1 dress uniform.

As he appeared the Executive Officer, Colonel Caleb Dytto, announced "Crew! Ah-ten-hut! Commander! Battlestar Hermes! Arriving!"

The procession of officers as well as the deckgang stood to attention as their Commanding Officer returned the salute given to him on the ship's behalf by Colonel Dytto. Bowman marched up towards the Colonel. The negativity between the two of them could almost be felt by the assembled crew. It was no secret that Bowman and Dytto's relationship was a strained one. It was simple really; Dytto believed he should have had command of Hermes and as such didn't feel that anyone else was suited to the position.

"Welcome back sir!" said Dytto almost forcing the words out of his mouth.

"Good to be back Colonel" replied Bowman confidently for he knew enough about Caleb Dytto to know that any sign of weakness on his behalf would just be more ammunition to Dytto's arsenal. Many Commanders wouldn't tolerate Dytto but Bowman saw something in him that few others did. The truth was that while his relationship with the somewhat bitter Colonel was a difficult one Bowman knew he could handle him but he was a good XO when it came to handling the crew. He could put the fear of the Gods into nearly all two and a half thousand crewmembers but at the same time could understand and empathise their needs and for that Bowman decided to keep him around. "Stand the crew at ease Colonel!"

"Crew!" boomed Dytto's voice once more. "Stand-at-ease!"

After making 'small talk' with Dytto about the ship during his time away he moved down the line and spoke with the officers assembled who represented each department of the ship. Bowman hated the formality of military life but he knew that it was more for the crew's benefit than his. Among the assembled officers was Lieutenant Chloe Burmeister, his tactical officer. Burmeister was young, enthusiastic and almost always had a trademark smile that seemed to run across her face. For her the Colonial Fleet was an adventure.

"Did you have a good shore leave Lieutenant?" asked Bowman. Burmeister's cheeks began to pinken with embarrassment as she no doubt thought about what she got up to before simply answering, "Yes sir. I did! Thank you!" Bowman noticed Dytto's disapproving eyes leaning over to look at her. Dytto had been friends with Burmeisters' father and so had a very protective nature when it came to her.

"I'm almost afraid to ask" joked Bowman as she now turned bright red. He continued down the procession and spoke with each of the department heads before dismissing them. It was only a quick meeting. There would be time to speak to them properly later that evening at dinner in the wardroom, a tradition aboard Battlestars the night before departure.

With his officers dismissed Bowman made his way to his quarters. As he walked through the corridors of his ship he allowed himself to get caught up in everything that was going on around him. The slightest thing happening on his ship seemed to grab his attention. It was like being reacquainted with a lover. Once he reached his quarters Bowman slumped down onto his bunk. Although he had only been in command for four months it felt like he had been aboard for years, the room was that comforting to him and he felt a bit guilty at the thought of Brooke laying in their bed all alone for the next two weeks.

The room was suddenly filled by a buzzing sound emanating from the intercom handset hanging from the wall near his desk. Bowman stood up and walked over to answer it. "Bowman!" he said into the phone.

"Lt. Burmeister sir" replied the young voice on the other side. "We have an unscheduled Raptor on approach requesting permission to come aboard and meet directly with you. They have given a security code word that I am to pass on to you."

"Go ahead!" said Bowman.

"Code word is Andrew" explained Burmeister. Bowman knew immediately that this Raptor had Tolan's envoy onboard for Andrew was the name of Scott's older brother who had been murdered twenty seven years ago during a power struggle within the Basileus Crime Syndicate on Canceron. The aim was to kill their grandfather, Carl Tolan, who was leader of the powerful crime family at that time but failed and instead took the life of Scott's older brother. Scott never really got over his death.

"Grant them permission" said Bowman. "Did they say who was aboard?"

"Yes sir!" replied Burmeister. "A Major Galit Malka."

Bowman felt a jolt of energy run through his body as though he had received an electric shock of some kind. That was a name he hadn't heard in some time. He had met her with Scott on the mission to rescue Adar's niece but he believed she was killed during the mission until he received a letter from her wishing him and Brooke well after they had got married. They did have a connection although to this day he didn't know how far it would have gone had events not intervened.

It seemed to take a lifetime for the Raptor to land and Galit to arrive. Bowman waited in his office but to say he was being patient would be a mistake. He struggled to find things to do in order to burn off the anxious energy that was building up inside him. He even tried to start some of his paperwork, a task he would often try to avoid like the plague!

There was a knock on the hatch! Bowman stood up behind his desk and took a deep breath before allowing the visitor entry. He didn't know where he was to begin? He had a flood of questions about that fateful day when he believed she had been killed and everyone of them seemed to be on the tip of his tongue as the hatch opened. In walked Lt. Burmeister who stood to attention and saluted before announcing the arrival of Major Malka.

To his immediate shock the woman standing before him in a Major's uniform was not Galit Malka but was in fact Commander Bridget Woods, Tolan's XO aboard the _Victorious _although Bowman knew it was only for a short while longer until she got her own ship the _Kios_. Bowman almost had to snap himself out of his surprised gaze that was lingering on Woods as she stood there before him with a briefcase.

"Thank you Lieutenant" he said to Burmeister. "That will be all!"

"Yes sir!" replied Burmeister as she turned away and closed the hatch behind her leaving them alone.

"Scott wanted me to apologise on his behalf for the deception" explained Woods. Bowman always picked up on the fact that she called him by his first name. Both Scott Tolan and Bridget Woods had been romantically involved in the past much to the detriment of her career which would have floundered had it not been for Scott's influence. "Scott felt it was the best way to avoid suspicion and so that you would know I was genuine."

"Remind me to kick Scott's ass!" grumbled Bowman as his heart began to settle down back into it's normal rhythm. "Have a seat Bridget! Can I get you anything to drink?"

"I could murder a coffee" she replied as she placed the briefcase on Bowman's desk and opened it before taking the seat on the opposite side of the desk. "I can't stay long. I have to get back to the _Victorious _before anyone notices I'm missing. Thank you!" she said taking the small mug of coffee off Bowman that he had just prepared.

"Well then let's not waste anytime" added Bowman as he took his seat on the opposite side of the table. "Why don't we start at the beginning?" Bridget reached in to the briefcase and removed a single sheet of paper before handing it to Bowman who read the title aloud. "After action report regarding the loss of a pilot aboard the Battlestar..._Valkyrie!_" Bowman read on with interest. It described an incident regarding Tauron miners somehow shooting down a Viper near the Armistice Line. Four lines had been highlighted with a marker pen. Three were highlighted in blue ink including the name of the pilot; _Lieutenant Daniel Novacek_ as well as the words _shot down_ and _Armistice Line. _The words _renegade Tauron miners _was however highlighted in red pen. "Did Scott highlight these sections?"

"No! That's how it was delivered" explained Bridget.

"Delivered?" shot Bowman!

"Yes!" she replied. "That is an exact copy of an official after action report that was sent to Scott through civilian channels about a month ago. Whoever sent it to him wanted to emphasise those points!"

"Does he have any idea who sent it?"

"No!" replied Bridget. Bowman didn't like that at all. He never had much of a stomach for this cloak-and-dagger stuff. That was always Scott's forte. "Scott thinks that the different colored highlighting is to emphasise the key points within that report. He thinks that the blue sections are true but whomever sent this wanted him to know that the part about renegade Tauron miners is false."

"Well that would be logical" concluded Bowman. "So what else is there?"

Bridget reached in to the briefcase and produced a list of shipping list. Several of the ships were highlighted. "This is a copy of the shipping traffic near the Armistice Line in the past few months as recorded by our tracking stations. This is the 'public' record anyway. Scott couldn't request the classified lists held by the Admiralty without a good enough reason so we can expect there to be some ships missing." She handed the list to him to look over. "Those ships highlighted are the ones we have invested interest in."

"What about them?" asked Bowman glancing up from the list.

"Each one of those ships is registered to one of three Tauron based mining companies. You probably haven't heard of any of them and there's a very good reason for that. They only exist on paper! Scott used some of his in-law's corporate contacts to quietly look in to them. There appears to be just enough paperwork to go with those ships to operate off Tauron but apart from that there is nothing that supports that they are real companies. Even the address is false. And there's another thing. Look at those ships' names! There are several different names and transponder codes but if you look at the description they are virtually the same."

"So it's possible we are only really dealing with one or two ships that are masquerading as many vessels" said Bowman summing up. Bowman had a doubt that he wanted to clear up. "What makes Scott so sure that he's not just dealing with a covert surveillance operation authorised by the President's office?"

"Well!" huffed Bridget. "There is that possibility. But Scott thinks that whomever sent him the report regarding Novacek's shootdown is trying to tell him that there's more going on out there. That's why he came to you." Bridget closed the briefcase and passed it over to Bowman who was still going over the traffic lists. Now was the real moment of truth for Bowman. He had to decide now for certain that he was going. Not even he was sure that there was enough there to warrant him taking this risk. Nevertheless he had been asked for a favor.

As he accepted the briefcase he looked up at Bridget and said, "You can tell Admiral Tolan that _Hermes_ leaves tomorrow!"


End file.
